Osteospermum plant named `Cape Daisy Zimba`

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum named `Cape Daisy Zimba`, particularly characterized by its upright growth habit with excellent pure white flower color, early season flowering and medium green foliage, and suitability to 6 inch pots, nursery containers and 8 and 10 inch hanging basket cultures.

BACKGROUND OF THE PLANT

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of plantknown as Osteospermum. The new cultivar is known by the cultivar name`Cape Daisy Zimba`, and was developed by the inventor Carl Aksel KraghSorensen in Aarhus, Denmark, in 1991, by crossing two seedling parentsfrom my breeding program. Both seedlings are proprietary to the breedingprogram.

Asexual reproduction by terminal (stem tip) cuttings taken by me orunder my supervision at Peterminde greenhouse in Aarhus, Denmark, hasshown that the unique features of this new Osteospermum are stabilizedand are reproduced true to type in successive propagations.

The following characteristics distinguish the new Osteospermum from bothits parent varieties and other cultivars of this general type known andused in the floriculture industry:

1. The only pure white ray flower color with yellow centers.

2. An upright compact growth habit.

3. Early flower response.

4. Well suited for 6" pots, nursery containers, and hanging baskets.

`Cape Daisy Zimba` is similar to the unpatented cultivar `Sunny Boy`.The growth habit of `Cape Daisy Zimba` is different in that the diskflowers are yellow, not blue, and leaves are darker green.

Chart A compares `Cape Daisy Zimba` to `Cape daisy Nairobi` which is theclosest plant to the knowledge of the inventor. `Cape Daisy Zimba` is aseed parent to `Cape Daisy Nairobi`, a plant described and illustratedin co-pending U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 08/698,341. Theplant characteristics described in Chart A are based on three plants inone hanging basket.

    ______________________________________                                        CHART A                                                                       Characteristic                                                                             `Cape Daisy Zimba`                                                                         `Cape Daisy Nairobi`                                ______________________________________                                        Plant Height 32 cm        28 cm                                               (above the pot)                                                               Plant Width  66 cm        50 cm                                               Flower Head Diameter                                                                       7.5 cm       7.7 cm                                              Inflorescence Color                                                                        White with   White with                                                       yellow center                                                                              blue center                                         ______________________________________                                    

DESCRIPTION OF PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph is a side perspective view of thenew cultivar, showing color as true as it is reasonably possible toobtain in a colored reproduction of this type.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following is a detailed description of my new Osteospermum cultivarbased on plants grown under commercial practice in Encinias, Calif.Three rooted cuttings were transplanted into 26 cm (10 inch) hangingbaskets on Dec. 11, 1995. Plants were pinched on Jan. 2, 1996, andreceived plant growth regulator on January 16 and 31. The values,measurements and observations noted below were taken from plants inbloom on Feb. 29, 1996.

On Apr. 8, 1996, I observed a plant in a 26 cm hanging basket 32 cmtall. This basket had three branched plants with an overall height of 45cm and an overall width of 66 cm. Each plant had 5 strong branches,originating from within 1.5 cm of the soil line, for a total of 15branches. Each branch was approximately 33 cm long terminating in aflower. At observation, there were 36 flowers open and 81 flower buds invarious stages of development. Three secondary shoots subtend theterminal flower from the top 3 nodes on the primary shoot. Thesesecondary shoots also terminated in a flower.

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart (R.H.S.), except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

THE PLANT

Origin: Seedling from cross pollination.

Parentage: Cross between two proprietary Cape Daisy seedling parents.

Classification:

Botanical.--Osteopermum ecklonis.

Common name.--Osteospermum.

Cultivar name.--`Cape Daisy Zimba`.

Asexual reproduction:

A. Cutting type.--Vegetative shoot tip with stems approximately 3 cmlong and developing to 4-5 cm after 28 days in propagation.

B. Time to initiate roots.--8-10 days at 20° C.; nicely developed rootmass in 21-28 days.

C. Rooting habit.--Numerous, fibrous adventitious roots from the stembase.

D. Growth retardant application.--Standard growth retardant applicationfor `Cape Daisy Zimba` includes 1-2 applications ofDaminozide/Butanedioic acid mono (2.2 dimethylhydrazide) at a rate of2,500 ppm. Applications are made as foliar sprays. Growth retardingchemicals generally reduce plant height by 1/3.

Plant description:

A. Form.--Symmetrical, low-growing perennial shrub, with good branchingcharacteristics after pinching, giving the plant a full appearance.

B. Habit of growth.--Upright habit, producing approximately 13-15 leavesper stem and terminating in flowers. After the initial flower is formed,typically three subordinate axillary shoots develop from the uppermostleaves producing additional flowering shoots. This process is continuousso long as night temperatures remain below 16° C.

C. Foliage description.--1. Leaf shape: Obovate with acute tip andattenuate leaf base. 2. Leaf blade size: Mature leaves 7-10 cm long and2-3 cm wide. 3. Petiole length: Approximately 3 cm in length. 4. LeafMargin: Slightly sinuate with 3-5 pointed lobes on either side of theleaf blade. 5. Leaf texture: Slighty undulant and twisted at the tip.(i) Upper surface: Slightly pubescent with short, white trichomes evenlydistributed throughout the leaf surface. (ii) Under surface: Glabrous.6. Leaf color: Green. (i) Upper surface: Dark green; Near R.H.S. 147A.(ii) Under surface: Green; lighter than R.H.S. 147A. 7. Ventation:Palmately branched with a predominate light green mid-rib on the uppersurface. One prominent mid-vein is slightly raised on the lower surface.Two less prominent veins are observed on lower and upper surfaces. 8.Foliage Fragrance: Characteristics Osteospermum plant fragrance,particularly notable when foliage is wet.

Flower description: Daisy type composite flower with disk and rayflorets that close at night and open in the morning. The ligulate petalof the ray floret subtends the pistil. The disk florets contain maleflower parts. Florets on the flower head are imperfect with pistillateray florets and staminate disk florets.

A. Flowering habits.--Flowering is determinate with one primary flowerat the end of a long, (16-18 cm) pedicel on open flowers. Each pedicelhad approximately 4-6 leaflets on the proximal end of the pedicel. Asecondary flower arises from the base of the primary pedicle.

B. Natural flowering season.--Flowering occurs primarily Februarythrough October in the northern hemisphere. Initiation occurs after acool temperature vernalization (10°-17° C.). Floriferousness may waneduring hot summer days in temperate climates. Rooted cuttings arepinched two weeks after potting, then cultivated at 10°-12° C. for fourweeks, then maintained at 18° C. for seven weeks for a total of 13 weeksto flower.

C. Flower buds.--Flower buds develop successively on secondary branches,reaching a size of 2 cm long and 1 cm wide prior to opening.

D. Flowers borne.--Singularly 9-10 cm above the plant canopy.

E. Quantity of flowers.--Secondary flowers occur progressively aroundthe primary flower so that tight buds to mature flowers are visible atthe same time.

F. Flower head.--1. Number of florets: 20-24 ray florets and numerousdisk florets, making up a flower disk approximately 1.2 cm in diameter.2. Shape: Narrow linear florets with obtuse to acute tips and acutebases. Ray florets approximately 3.5 cm long and 0.9 cm wide. 3. Color:Ray florets are pure white: disk florets are yellow. (i) Upper surfaceof ray florets: Pure white, whiter than R.H.S. 155B. (ii) Under surfaceof ray florets: White with a yellow blush. Mostly white with some yellowstripes near R.H.S. 11C intensifying in color at the tip of each floret.(iii) Disk florets: Yellowish-white; near 158D. 4. Surface: (i) Uppersurface of ray florets: Glabrous. (ii) Under surface of ray florets:Glabrous but pubescent near the base. 5. Inflorescence size: Up to 7.5cm in diameter. 6. Flower fragrance: None.

G. Reproductive organs.--1. Stamens: Short stamens emerge on outermostdisk florets and progress toward the center. 2. Anther: Each disk florethas 1 stamen terminating in a 5-part anther. 3. Pollen: Copious andgolden yellow. 4. Stigma: Bipartite. 5. Styles: Short, approximately 2-3mm long and white. 6. Ovary: Inferior to petals and green in color.

H. Resistance.--1. Frost: Withstands light frost. 2. Root, stem, foliageand flower diseases: High resistance.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum plantnamed `Cape Daisy Zimba`, as illustrated and described.